Democrat Joe Manchin signals he won't support Biden's call for a gas tax holiday

[Polybius]

Source: ABC News

President Joe Biden's calls for Congress to pass a gas tax holiday were being met with skepticism Wednesday from both sides of the aisle.

In an exclusive interview with ABC News, Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia said he had several concerns with the proposal and signaled he would not support it.

"I'm not a yes right now, that's for sure," Manchin said, just hours before Biden was set to speak Wednesday afternoon.

For the last 25 years, all revenue from the federal gas tax has gone to the Highway Trust Fund, the major source of federal funding for highways, roads and bridges. Manchin noted Congress put an additional $118 billion into the fund when it passed the bipartisan infrastructure package.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/democrat-joe-manchin-signals-support-bidens-call-gas/story?id=85558791

[BradAllison]

1. "I want prices to go higher so I can blame him for why Democrats stink!!!!!"

I'm saying what he wishes he could.

[Miguelito Loveless]

8. The tax holiday is a stupid political ploy

First, the oil companies will simply raise their prices 18¢ a gallon and pocket the cut.

Second, the cut screws the highway fund just when we need the money.

Third, prices will go down, the oil companies will raise them, then after 90 days the tax will come back, on top of the price rise from the oil companies, RIGHT BEFORE the elections, pissing off the public on the way to the polls.

It is a massive gift to the GOP candidates.

[pandr32]

9. I tend to agree

[BradAllison]

10. Does Joe Mansion have a solution?

No, but he does want another boat.

[Auggie]

14. I agree. But it's stupid enough that it might help Joe's numbers.

It's a needed talking point. Any moron can understand "tax holiday."

[Miguelito Loveless]

19. And any moron will understand

when the prices shoot back up after the holiday expires, a few weeks before he goes to the polls. Again, as soon as the 18¢ falls off the price, oil companies will step in to pocket the cut, and the price will go back to what it was.

So, start at $4.68 a gallon on July 1st, price falls to $4.50.

Price will be back to $4.68 by August, with the tax money going from the highway trust fund straight to the oil companies' profit margins.

On Oct 1st, the "tax holiday" expires and the price jumps to $4.86 just in time for voters to stew for 4 weeks before voting in November. An I am sure that the oil companies, who want Trump and his ilk back in power, will be happy to push the gas price to $5 in those four weeks before the election. A nice round number for the GOP to run attack adds with.

Any small improvement in Biden's numbers will be erased and then some (along with Dems running in November) buy election day.

[NJCher]

23. hahha love your Freudian slip

buy election day.

which is exactly what the oil companies are doing with the repubs.

[Miguelito Loveless]

24. Agreed.

[Auggie]

36. Speculation, Doc

I'll wait until the possible scenario plays out before crediting your foresight.

Always liked your user name. I'm old enough to remember watching first-run episodes featuring Michael Dunn, BTW. Fun times.

[11 Bravo]

39. I briefly thought about choosing "Bloodbath McGrath" as my DU username.

I just always liked the sound of it.

[Miguelito Loveless]

40. There is only one

Dr. Miguelito Loveless, accept none dated after 1973.

[Auggie]

41. Indeed

[LymphocyteLover]

22. Yes, it's good to see the president propsoe a solution and then have Repugs reject it

and as usual Manchin is no help

[samnsara]

25. not so fast.. i live in wash state where the gas tax is almost dbl the fed tax

..if we can get the states on board with the state tax thats a huge fucking big deal where i live. sometimes baby steps is whats needed to get the others going. why dont y'all chat with your state reps about the state gas tax..? make sure it goes to consumers..

[Miguelito Loveless]

35. States are even less likely to

take a tax holiday since gas taxes are usually a catch-all slush fund for many things beyond road repair.

[rlegro]

28. Biden and his team aren't stupid

They know all that. They also know Republicans are highly unlikely to approve the tax holiday in any event. So right now he gets a little bit of PR. When the GOP kills it, Republicans get a bit more bad press. It's called politics in an election year. As for King Coal Manchin, he's becoming harder to distinguish from Susan Collins -- I mean rhetorically, not necessarily physically. They're both huge concern trolls and Peanuts cartoon Lucy Van Pelts who consistently pull the football away as Charlie Brown Democrats are about to kick it. A pox on both their houses. Oh, and if the Republicans were even smart even to suddenly decide to vote for the gas tax holiday? And Manchin changed his mind, too? (fat chance of that). Somewhere in the House or Senate there would be a few other Democrats in safe districts who would take the heat for Biden and find something truly wrong with the measure. You are right, Dr. Loveless, the tax holiday is a bad idea but it remains a better ploy than no ideas. By the way, in Wisconsin, Democratic Gov. Evers annoyed Republicans bigly by issuing an executive order that temporarily restricts how much oil companies can raise retail prices and mandates a price reduction scheme if crude prices stabilize at a lower level. That, too, will be hard to enforce and won't necessarily show motorists any obvious gains (prices could keep going up, just less rapidly and only to a limited peak, but most motorists will pay no attention to political news and will still blame Evers -- who other than that can't do a damned thing about gas prices except to urge conservation. It's his Jimmy Carter moment, and for anyone with a brain it's a Jimmy Carter moment. We'll take the heat no matter what but maybe we can maneuver a little and lower that temperature slightly. That's how it works.

[EarlG]

30. I think that WAS the plan

The President can't do much to affect gas prices, and the gas tax holiday proposal is probably more for show, to put the GOP in a bind. Indeed: "They also know Republicans are highly unlikely to approve the tax holiday in any event. So right now he gets a little bit of PR. When the GOP kills it, Republicans get a bit more bad press."

Problem is, by getting out ahead and saying he's not for it, Manchin gives the Republicans cover. Now they can point to Manchin and say "See, Democrats don't want this either."

So, yeah, this is mostly a bunch of poltical maneuvering, but unfortunately -- as he is wont to do -- it looks like Manchin has decided to give the other side an assist.

I'm just not sure why this gas tax holiday gambit was proposed in the first place though... surely it would be simpler and more direct for the White House to just be out there every day loudly blasting the oil companies for jacking up prices on Americans. For Republicans to counter, they'd have to defend the oil companies, and it's not like Big Oil is particularly beloved by the public... politically speaking, it seems like it would be a winner to go after them.

[quakerboy]

50. Then why are the Republicans against it?

I think that Joe proposing it with republicans standing in opposition was a smart political ploy

At least till the lesser joe decided to try and trip up democrats by making it bipartisan oposition

It wasn't going to pass.. and it was being blocked by Republicans. Which means that Democrats could come out and campaign on republicans blocking gas price relief without ever having to face the reality of the (technically correct) flaws you listed.

[NullTuples]

2. Tax holidays reward gas producers while starving the gov't - we need industry regulation

Hell, use emergency powers if you have to, Joe!

[llashram]

3. hell no

he won't. Making too much money over/under the table.

[The Jungle 1]

4. It won't benefit the rich enough

If we are going to have tax cuts then trillions have to go to the rich. Plus a few scraps for the peons.
Don't worry it is going to trickle down. Reagan promised!

[madaboutharry]

5. He is the worst democrat!

One would think that a Senator from West Virginia would actually try to do something good for his constituents. Apparently, that is too much to ask of him!

[k8conant]

37. Indeed! n/t

[ebbie15644]

6. I'm ambivalent about the tax holiday

I think a windfall tax would be more affective

[Harker]

7. I have a signal for him... n/t

[BlueJac]

11. Manchin is an ass, forget the tax holiday anyway.

Cut all subsidies for oil companies.

[relayerbob]

12. What's needed is a massive windfall profits tax

But Congress won't do that, either. For myself, I thought ahead and have a plug-in hybrid, and haven't filled my tank since February. As far as I'm concerned, we should be using these high prices as a reason for breaking our addiction to fossil fuels, so I'd actually be inclined to double, or more, the gas tax and use the money to fund more electric car infrastructure.

[Blue Owl]

13. Because of course he won't

He represents the average millionaire, not the average American

[LudwigPastorius]

15. What a prick.

[HuskyOffset]

16. And this is me announcing that I can't support

calls for me not to take a daily shit on Joe Manchin's driveway. So, there we are.

[iemanja]

17. He really doesn't care how unpopular he is.

[IronLionZion]

18. OK, I also don't support the gas tax holiday

lowering prices by 18 cents per gallon is not making a difference for consumers and won't help us this election. It will lose important tax revenue for roads and bridges though.

I realize this is not an option for everyone, but I personally drive less as much as I can. I have no interest in flying anywhere anytime soon.

[Deminpenn]

20. Don't really support a gas tax holiday either

18 cents won't make that big a difference and the federal govt needs that revenue

[ZonkerHarris]

21. I wonder which side of the aisle Manchin is on?

[William769]

26. I hope come November this asshole becomes irrelevant.

[calimary]

27. Well, so now we know WHO WON'T HELP THE LITTLE GUY.

Who won't even take EVEN SMALL STEPS to help the little guy!

Or "little steps to help the little guy."

Always trying to think about what would make a good slogan, talking point, or bumper sticker. Cuz it ain't The Thing, so much as the AD CAMPAIGN TO SELL "The thing." In this day and age, that's what matters most and gets the point across best - for the results we want most.

[Trueblue1968]

29. he is a big ugly butt. that is all.

we need this sooooooooooo bad. why is manchin being so awful?

hubby and i are on SS and we are dying here. we need this as do millions of others.

[AllyCat]

31. Must support at all times because he has a "D"

Just hoping we elect more Ds in November so we don't have to worry about Manchin's D

[Lil Liberal Laura]

32. Joe Mansion

Everyday issues don't affect him, so he quite obviously doesn't give a shit.

[BlueIdaho]

33. A windfall profits tax is a better solution.

Take away Big Oils cash explosion from gouging and see what happens next.

[LiberalFighter]

34. They should avoid him like the plague.

[Voltaire2]

38. Of course.

[usaf-vet]

42. Hey Joey M. STFU and stop bitching. It's either lower gas prices or it's not. i'm not yes right...

.... now. he is signaling that for a price he will vote what the top bidder for his vote wants.

It's that simple. HE CAN BE BOUGHT.

[GoldandSilver]

43. The answer is.....

Stop falling all over yourselves to guzzle gas when the wind isn’t favorable for it.

Want gas prices to down? Stop hopping in your gas guzzling vehicles and driving across the country!

Really, is it necessay that you crowd into airports with all the other hopeful dumbasses just in time to be told your flight is cancelled? The airlines aren’t just joking around when they tell you they don’t have staff. They need pilots, ticket agents, flight attendants, baggage handlers TSA ogres, etc. and they have told us they don’t have enough. Why are you surprised and cranky when they cancel flights?

Take a look around, things are not back to normal no matter how much you want them to be. Adjust to the reality and stop the wishful thinking. You’ll find life is a lot more pleasant when you go with the flow.

[PSPS]

44. It's kind of a silly idea anyway. The consumer would save about a dime a gallon at the most.

Most or all of the current 18 cents federal gas tax would just be kept by the oil companies as extra profit. But, even if it weren't, saving $3.60 on a 20-gallon tank of gas wouldn't have any real effect on the CPI.

[Roisin Ni Fiachra]

45. Of course he won't. I'd say it, but he's not worth getting a post hidden. nt

[TomSlick]

47. Before we get too upset with Manchin (about this),

remember that Speaker Pelosi expressed doubts about the idea of a federal gas tax holiday months ago.

[dlk]

48. The proverbial fly in the ointment...

n/t

[cloudboy07]

49. " republican paid spy " !